B. Five things that dictate where to fish:

1) Time of year

Late spring through early fall, fish can be caught shallow and around the kelp, and in the colder months they tend to congregate on hard bottom and deepwater structure.

2) Water temp

What’s the water temp? Warmer water usually means more active fish that can be caught throughout the water column. Cooler water causes the fish to slow way down and become structure huggers that’s when I look to the deeper structure and hard bottom areas in 40-100ft of water and slow the presentation Way Down! Too quick of water temp drop screws everything up! See finesse fishing!

3) Water color

Watercolor can play a major part in successful swimbait fishing. Too clean of water is usually the kiss of death for swimbait fishing once the sun comes out. This is when I look for kelp with lots of current, or better yet look for off color water, I like green to blue /green water, although I’ve had great success in green/brown water especially when fishing shallow water and around boilers.

4) Current

Current can make or break a potential spot, fish like lots of current for it stirs up food for them, and will also bring outside food sources into the strike zone, so generally lack of current results in lack of bites! Also another thing about finding a spot with good current, even if you don’t meter a lot of fish try the spot anyway, “remember” the fish are roaming around the water column looking for food in the current!

5) Signs of life

If you get to a spot and you see boiling fish there’s a pretty good chance they will bite, if you see birds crashing around the kelp or a reefy area, Get over there! If you see bait fish flipping around that’s a good thing, and obviously if you meter lots of fish that’s a good sign! Now if there’s no current but lots of fish on the meter try it anyway, this is also a good time to try the Big Hammer Ringer worms.

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